Stud assembly for luggage



1953 M. L. DUSKIN STUD ASSEMBLY FOR LUGGAGE Filed Dec. 8, 1947 I Morris L. .Duskrz Z; /W

Patented Oct. 6, 1953 on rrco STAT es ear em QFFIQE STUD ASSEMBLY FOR LUGGAGE Morris Leonard Duski'n, Chicago; Ill.

- Application- December 8, 1947, Serial: Nm '790g415 .7 Claims.

1 This invention relates to protective covers for luggage. 'Specificallmthis invention deals with studs adapted to be secured to the bottom .panel of a flexible fabric luggage cover forisupporting the weight of the enclosed luggageduring shipping of the same.

1 The supporting stud of this invention is par- 'ticularly adapted to be attached to the bottom panel of a luggage cover, one stud being disposed at'each corner thereof. As is well known in the luggage field, luggage covers are made of a dura- A To prevent'exoessive wear and-abrasion of the bottom of the cover itself, small pedestals or 'foot member's, usually taking the: form of inverted, segmental spherical headed studs, are secured at the four corners of the bottom panel of the-cover with the headed portion disposed to rest on the ground and the shank end of the stud fastened in the canvas bottom. Thus, the bottom panel of the cover is held spaced from the ground.

It is understood, of course, that the enclosed piece of luggage also has supporting stud mem bers. If these latter studs align themselves di-- rectly above the studs of the cover, the weight of the piece of luggage will be transmitted directly through the aligned studs to the ground; However, if the luggage studs are not directly above the cover studs, the weight of the luggage must be transmitted from the luggage studs through the canvas bottom panel to the cover studs. Heretofore, this transmission of the weight of the luggage through the canvas of the cover has caused tearing of the canvas around the upper end of the cover studs and has resulted in the premature failure ofthe luggage cover as a whole.

According to the features of the present invention, the corners of the bottom panel of "the luggage cover may be provided with outer reinforcement strips of leather or imitation leather, afiording a double bottom panel at these ciit-i cal corner areas. The upper'end of eachstud penetrates the outer reinforcement panel or wall and is secured in a heavy felt washer between the two panels, as by separating and bending over the Split upper end of the stud. The bent over ends "are embedded in the felt washer and thus, a soft, yieldable felt surface is presented to the canvas cover when it is pressed downwardly by' the weight of the piece of luggage.

It is accordingly an object ofthis invention to provide meansforpreventingthe; tearing of the fabric of-a luggage cover when apiece of luggage isjsupported -therein.

Another object of this invention is toprovide a: novel stud and; stud washer designed and ar ranged tosupport the weight ofapiece ofluggage Without presentingsharpedges tothe fabric of the cover. 1 A further-object of this-l invention is to providea'novel-stud washer which completely surrounds the upper end ofthe studand which is sufiiciently-rigid toi-transmititheweight of the luggage to the load bearing head ofithe stud and is sumciently -yieldable tocpreventtearing of-the canvas ofthe coverwhere it. contacts the washer.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sideelevational view of. aluggage cover according to the teachings of this invention with thehandle portionof an enclosed piece of luggage shown in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is an end elevation oithe luggage cover of Figure 1;

Figure 31. is -afragmentary side elevational view, partly in sectionand partlybroken away, of the luggage cover of Figure lrand Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the center of the novel stud-and washer-assembly of the present invention.

. As shown onthe drawings:

In Figure '1,--.the.referencenumeral i6 indicatesa luggage cover. constructed according to the teachings of.. this invention". This cover is preiera-blymade of azheavy. grade of canvas having its two sideshto and bottom made from a single piece otmaterial I2.- At either end, a pair ofend members, I3 and one not shown, and M and Ma, respectively, are sewed ontothe mem ber 12, thus providing two half cover assemblies joined at the-bottom bythe bottom portion of the member 12.

A fastener l5, .such asla zipper, is disposed at the lower. corner at either end of the'cover, and is arranged tomove toward the central portion of the upper panel toclose the cover by drawing the marginaledges ofleachhalf cover together. Therspace-between theend's or theclosed fastener l5 defines an opening ['6 through which a handle lib of an enclosed piece of luggage H may project for convenience in carrying'the covered luggage; .The portion of the canvas cover immediately .aroundthis' opening 16 may be reinforced, if. desired, by strips of leather lda sewed on either sidethereof.

As illustrated iniFigures 1 and 2, atieachend of the bottom of the cover a U-shaped reinforcing strip I1 is sewed onto the member I2 and secured in the seam joining the end panels to the member [2. These strips 1 l, which may be made of a durable, pliable material, such as leather or imitation leather, form, together with the member l2, a double panel at the ends of the cover.

According to the teachings of this invention, a metal washer [9 (Figure 4) and a superimposed felt washer 20 are adapted to be positioned at each corner of the bottom panel of the cover between the leather strips I1 and the canvas member 12, having their central openings aligned with an aperture Ila in the leather strip IT. A

stud 22 having a segmental spherical head 22a seated in a semi-spherical support member 23 extends through the aperture Ha, the metal washer l9 and the felt washer 2i] and has its outer split end portion 22b separated and pressed down into the felt washer 2c, as shown in Figure 4. The felt washer 20 thus forms a cushioning collar, having an annular portion 26a that extends around and above the split end of the stud to contact the canvas member l2. With this construction, it is readily seen that any load on the felt washer 20 Will be transmitted through the metal washer, the leather strip I! and the semispherical support member 23 to the head 22:; I

of the stud. As long as the annular portion 29a extends above the separated ends of the stud, this portion of the stud will not contact the canvas of the member l2.

The stud and washer assembly may most conveniently be secured on the leather strip ll before the strips are sewed onto the cover.

In Figure 3, the piece of luggage H is shown as enclosed in the cover It and as having foot portions in the form of segmental spherical headed studs I la secured at the corners of the bottom of the piece of luggage. It is seen that the weight of the piece of luggage causes the stud Ila to bend the canvas member l2 over the edge of the felt washer 20. This washer presents a rounded, yieldable edge to the canvas of the member l2, which edge will not tear or cut into the canvas.

It is also within the scope of this invention to make the height of the felt washer 2i! substantially equal to the height of the foot Ila of the enclosed piece of luggage so that the weight of the luggage will be wholly or partially transmitted directly from the luggage to the annular ring 20a of the felt washer. This would eliminate, to a large extent, the load which has heretofore caused tearing of the canvas cover.

It is also a part of this invention to make the washer 20 of any semi-rigid yieldable material having properties similar to that of felt.

From the foregoing discussion, it is seen that there is provided in this invention a novel stud and washer combination which effectively prevents tearing of the fabric of a luggage cover. This novel stud and washer is relatively inexpensive and very easy to install.

It will be understood that deails of construction may be varied without going beyond the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A supporting stud assembly for a luggage cover or the like comprising an inverted stud having a shank portion and a segmental spherical head portion, means to space said head portion below the bottom wall of .the cover, said shank portion having a split outer end projecting through the wall, and a semi-rigid washer disposed about the shank portion of the stud above the wall of the cover to receive the bent over end portions of said stud when said stud is secured onto the wall, said washer affording a cushioning ring around and above the bent over end portions of the stud.

2. In combination in a luggage cover, a bottom wall, a reinforcing strip secured to each corner area of said bottom wall, a plurality of supporting stud assemblies secured to said strips at the corners of said bottom wall, each of said assemblies comprising a stud having a split end shank portion and a head portion, means to space said head portion below said reinforcing strip, and a semi-rigid washer disposed about the shank portion of the stud above said reinforcing strip and projecting above the split end of said stud to present a smooth, yieldable surface to said bottom wall.

3. In a luggage cover having reinforcing strips secured to the corners of the bottom wall thereof, a supporting stud assembly secured at each corner of the bottom wall, each supporting stud assembly comprising a stud having a head and a straight shank, said shank being disposed in an aperture in the reinforcing strip and being split at its outer end, a spacer member abutting the lower surface of the reinforcing strip and having an aperture therethrough and a seat for receiving the head of the stud, a rigid Washer disposed about the shank of said stud and on the upper surface of the reinforcing strip, a semirigid washer disposed on said rigid washer and about the shank of said stud, said semi-rigid washer providing an annular ring around and above the stud when the ends of the stud are separated and bent downwardly into said washer.

4. In a luggage cover having a reinforcing strip secured to each of the corners of the bottom wall thereof, a supporting stud assembly secured at each corner of the bottom wall of the cover and comprising a stud having a head and a split shank portion, said split shank portion extending through the reinforcing strip, a spacer washer disposed between the head of the stud and the reinforcing strip and having a shoulder for receiving the head of the stud, and a semi-rigid washer disposed about the split shank of the stud, providing a ring around and above the end of the stud when the ends are separated and bent downwardly into said washer, the weight of luggage enclosed in said cover being transmitted through said semi-rigid washer and said spacer washer to the head of said stud.

5-. In combination With a flexible cover for a piece of luggage which has foot members secured to the bottom panel thereof, a bottom wall for said cover, a reinforcing strip secured to each corner area of said bottom wall, a plurality of supporting stud assemblies secured to said strips at the corners of said bottom wall, each of said assemblies comprising a stud having a head portion spaced below said reinforcing strip by support means, a split shank portion projecting therefrom and through said strip, and a washer disposed about the shank of the stud and above said reinforcing strip and projecting above the split end of said stud, said Washer being of a thickness substantially equal to the height of the foot members of the enclosed piece of luggage whereby the Weight of the luggage will be transmitted directly to said washers.

6. In a luggage cover having reinforcing strips secured to the corners of the bottom wall thereof, a supporting stud assembly secured at each corner of the bottom wall, each supporting stud assembly comprising a stud having a head and a straight shank, said shank being disposed in an aperture in the reinforcing strip and being split at its outer end, and a semi-rigid washer disposed about the shank of said stud, said semi-rigid washer providing an annular ring around and above the stud when the ends of the stud are separated and bent downwardly into said washer.

7. A protective covering for articles such as luggage having a bottom wall provided with a plurality of support members, said support members comprising a yieldable supporting element positioned on an interior surface of said bottom wall so as to support the article in spaced relation to said interior surface, an outer supporting element positioned on an exterior surface of said bottom wall and located directly below said yieldable element on the interior surface, and a metallic fastening means passing through both said inner and said outer supporting elements and clamping them to the opposite sides of said bottom wall, the upper surface of the inner most element extending upwardly beyond the innermost end of said metallic fastening means.

MORRIS LEONARD DUSKIN.

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